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Patience and persistence has paid off for Daryl Carson in his drive to grow his healthcare career.

Carson, 47, of Vicksburg, is a captain and 22-year employee of the Vicksburg Fire Department and a ��«Ӱҵ alum, having earned an associate degree in Emergency Medical Science several years ago. In Vicksburg, ambulance service is run by the city, via the VFD.

It’s a tall order juggling being a husband, a father of five, a first-responder job and applying successfully to the Associate Degree Nursing program at ��«Ӱҵ. For Carson, it was a matter of making good on a pledge to himself.

“I’ve always been big on education and bettering oneself,” Carson said. “I found out the Transition to RN program had been expanded to paramedics, so I just kept trying until I got in the program.”

At ��«Ӱҵ, he participated in student-led food drives at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center and has served in the Student Nurse Organization and the National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (N-OADN) Alpha Delta Nu honor society.

Carson sees himself taking his degree to the emergency room setting, a place where his job as an EMT and firefighter has coordinated frequently.

“I’m pursuing my bachelor’s degree at UMMC, then I’ll look into getting an ER director’s position,” he said.

��«Ӱҵ awarded a total of 700 credentials to 593 students during summer graduation ceremonies held July 30 at the Muse Center on the Rankin Campus. Several students earned more than one credential. Of those earning a credential, 85 graduated cum laude, 53 graduated magna cum laude and 69 graduated summa cum laude.

“The power of education is that it drives our vision for a better life,” ��«Ӱҵ President Dr. Stephen Vacik said during his remarks to graduates. “Our vision as an institution is that ��«Ӱҵ will serve as a catalyst to create a compelling culture – right here in Mississippi.”

Before the ceremony, Carson caught up with his high school classmate, Marvin Moak, who serves the college as Vice President of Facility Management and Auxiliary Services.

“Daryl and I both attended Utica High School,” Moak said. “To see all of the great things he has done makes me so proud. It was also great to experience this moment with him at graduation.”